During a Sunday interview on Fox News, Biden campaign surrogate Jenna Arnold attempted to spin the New York Post's stories about Hunter Biden selling the Ukrainians access to his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden. According to Arnold, the emails are "unconfirmed" yet she failed to say whether or not they were actually Hunter's.
She said she appreciated the Trump campaign being pressed on the issue "that so much of this is unconfirmed."
"Jenna, it's real simple. You're saying it's unconfirmed. Tell us what parts are not true," Vittert hit back. "Hunter Biden knows what emails he has and hasn't sent. Are you saying, and the campaign saying, these emails aren't his?"
Instead of giving a firm "yes" or "no" to the question, Arnold attempted to spin.
"It's unclear to me – I would say what's so important right now, from the American citizen and the media – yourself included, Leland – is to continue to ask clarifying questions about this, why the FBI is investigating," she said.
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa," Vittert interjected.
"It's imperative to know that the NSA told Trump that Giuliani was being played by these emails –" she went on.
"Again, Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. The easiest thing in the world to do: stop with all the obfuscation. The easiest thing in the world to do would be to say, 'These aren't Hunter Biden's emails,'" the Fox News host explained. "Nobody, including Hunter Biden, and including the campaign, has said it."
The one time that Biden was asked about it, by a CBS reporter, the former vice president attacked him, saying this was part of his personal "smear campaign."
"The question is this: I thought demonizing the media was a threat to our democracy. Every time President Trump attacks the media, Democrats – and yourself included – can't wait to yell about that. Don't the American people deserve something better than the former vice president attacking the person who asked a legitimate question?" Vittert asked.
Of course, Arnold made the claim that Biden "didn't attack" the CBS reporter. Instead he called the question "fake news."
Vittert reread Biden's statement.
"'It’s another smear campaign. Right up your alley. Those are the questions you always ask.' That kind of sounds like an attack to me," the Fox News host said.
Arnold shook her head, saying she doesn't consider it to be an attack. Instead, she said the Trump campaign has launched attacks on Biden by comparing the Chinese Communist Party to Nazi Germany.
Interestingly enough, she attempted to divert the conversation to the coronavirus of all things.
"I'm so confused," Vittert said, trying to follow Arnold's logic. "I feel like you still haven't answered the fundamental question, which is: can anyone say that these emails are inauthentic? And so far I haven't heard anyone say that."
Arnold herself admitted that Vittert was right: nobody is saying they are inauthentic.
Biden surrogate Jenna Arnold does a terrible job of spinning Hunter Biden’s emails. pic.twitter.com/JJXdydQVJT
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) October 18, 2020